Avon - Name Meaning, What does Avon mean? What does Avon mean? Avon [ av on] as a boys' name is of Celtic origin, and the meaning of Avon is " river ". In Welsh, "afon"; in Gaelic "abhainn". The name of several rivers in England. Use as a given name may have been influenced by its similarity to the popular Evan . Related boy name: Glenavon . Associated with: gaelic , england , popular (famous). Variations Avon Presley (A.P.), .. How popular is Avon? Avon is an uncommonly occurring first name for males but a very prominent last name for both adults and children (#46426 out of 150436, Top 31%). (2000 U.S. Census) Avon entered the list in 1890-1899 and reached its highest rank of #1519 in the U.S. during the years 1930-1939, but is not in the list at the moment. (Top 2000 Names, 2015) Which version is better?

with similar and related boy names. Owen (#36 in 2015), Evan (#67), Van (#826), Ewan (#1284), Evin (#1947), Evans , Euan and Eva are the popular variation forms of Avon. These relations of Avon were favored as baby names in 2010 (average #1277) and are almost as common today (#1351, ▼13.2%), but with the form Evans becoming somewhat outmoded. Evan has generally been preferred by parents, though Owen is now the preferred form. etymology - Do these river names mean anything? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange Do these river names mean anything? up vote 6 down vote favorite I was planning a little trip the other day when I noticed that a number of rivers in Britain have common names. The ones I spotted were Avon, Ouse and Esk. Is there a reason for this? Are these names derived from something?

2 Ouse is quite probably related to the PIE *wed- or *ud-, meaning water as an inanimate substance (whence whiskey, the Greek ύδωρ (hydro-), the English water, the German Wasser (water), the Russian вода (water), ведро (bucket), выдра (otter), the Latin onda (wave), the German Undine, etc.). Not sure about the others. – RegDwigнt♦ Jan 28 '11 at 18:52 4 For the specifics, Ward gave an excellent answer. There are other similar anomalies in place names in the British Isles. One of my favourites is Pendle Hill. The word 'pen' means hill. Later, the next incomers changed the hill's name to 'Pendle', meaning 'hill hill'. And then the next incomers, not knowing the etymology (and sadly lacking an internet) called it Pendle Hill or 'hill hill hill', so Pendle Hill really, really, really is a hill, because anything said three times is the truth.

– Jonathan Leffler Jan 28 '11 at 20:50 3 But anything said four times is apparently too good to be true, alas: Torpenhow Hill – PLL Jan 28 '11 at 21:57 Good Lord. It's these tiny gems of knowledge buried in comments that keep me coming back to this site. I wonder what Linguistics.SE will come up with. Languages are freaking fascinating (and that should be in bold, italics, and all-uppercase). @PLL. – RegDwigнt♦ Jan 28 '11 at 22:32 @PLL: I hadn't heard that one - but your URL led me to Wikipedia's List of tautological place names which does include 'Pendle Hill' amongst its celebrities - though I knew of that independently of Wikipedia. – Jonathan Leffler Jan 29 '11 at 1:09 River Avon - Major Rivers Of The British Isles Major Rivers Of The British Isles There are nine rivers which go by the name of Avon situated within Great Britain. The name Avon, comes from the Brythonic language and stems from the word for river, which is abona.

Brythonic was an ancient, insular Celtic language of the British Isles spoken between the Iron Age and the fifth century, by a race of people called Britons. Therefore words River Avon, actually mean River River, which is a tautology, the mergence of two words that mean the same thing, taken from two different languages. There are five River Avons in England, three River Avons in Scotland and one River Avon in Wales, although the Welsh river is spelled Afon Afan, which is another tautology which also means River River. RIVER AVON - ENGLAND 1 The longest River Avon in the British Isles travels for eighty five miles through the English counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Gloucestershire, from it's source at Naseby in Northamptonshire until it merges with the River Severn at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. This River Avon is also known as the Warwickshire Avon - as it travels through more of that county than any other - or Shakespeare's Avon - as it also travels through William Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford - upon - Avon.

It is here at Stratford - upon - Avon that the river connects with the twenty five mile long, Stratford and Avon Canal and is spanned by the fourteen arch, masonry bridge known as Clopton Bridge, built in 1480 by former Mayor Of London, Hugh Clopton. The river passes through the Stanford Resevoir, situated near the village of Stanford on Avon on the Northamptonshire / Leicestershire border, through the Vale of Evesham and the large towns of Rugby, Warwick, Stratford - on - Avon, Evesham, Pershore and Tewkesbury. The river's course is also accompanied by the eighty eight mile long, Shakespeare's Avon Way, walking path and the one hundred and nine mile long, Avon Ring, a navigable waterway with one hundred and twenty nine locks, situated between the river's source at Naseby to where it meets with the River Severn at Tewkesbury.

2 This River Avon, also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon, travels for seventy miles from it's source at Acron Turville near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire until it merges with the River Severn at it's estuary at Avonmouth near the city of Bristol. Although the distance between the river's source and mouth is only nineteen miles, the river is actually seventy five miles long owing to it's circular route which runs through the English counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset, passing through the towns of Malmesbury, Tetbury, Chippenham and Bradford on Avon and the cities of Bristol and Bath. The river has many tributaries, including the Rivers Bliss, Chew, Frome, Marden, Tetbury Avon and Trym. The river also merges with the River Kennet at Bath to form part of the seventy nine mile long, Kennet and Avon Canal. The river is navigable for most of it's route and is served by several locks and three weirs located at Bath, Kelston and Swineford.

The river is also spanned by many bridges including the seventeeth century, Avoncliffe Viaduct, the seventeeth century Dundas Aqueduct, the Grade I Listed, stone built, five arch, sixteenth century Town Bridge at Bradford on Avon, the unusual, eighteenth century, Cleveland Bridge in Bath, the eighteenth century Pultney Bridge, also in Bath, the eighteenth century, Bristol Bridge, in Bristol, the modern pedestrian bascule bridge known as, Pero's Bridge, also in Bristol and the most famous of them all, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, pictured above, which spans the two hundred and forty five foot high, Avon Gorge. The River Avon joins the River Severn Estuary in the City of Bristol after having passed through the city's floating harbour and network of lock gates, before eventually draining into the Bristol Channel. There is a ferry service across the River Avon in the City of Bristol, for more details visit - bristolferry.com 3 Image courtesy of R.J Higginson, wikimedia commons.

This River Avon, also known as the Hampshire Avon or Salisbury Avon, is a sixty mile long river which rises at two locations, one at Devizes in Wiltshire and the other at Pewsey, also in Wiltshire, before merging at Upavon in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire. The river then travels through the counties of Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset on England's south coast before draining into the English Channel at Mudeford, in Dorset After leaving the Vale of Pewsey the river travels south across Salisbury Plain, passing through the towns of Durrington and Amesbury and the City of Salisbury. The river is accompanied by the thirty four mile long, Avon Valley Path, between Salisbury and Christchurch.The river then goes on to merge with the River Stour at Christchurch, where they both flow into Christchurch Harbour at Mudeford in Dorset, pictured above, situated on the English Channel. The estuary of these two rivers is both an important site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and part of a local nature reserve. The river has several tributaries, including the Rivers Bourne, Ebble, Nadder and Wylie.

The river is served by several old bridges, including a three arch, stone bridge in the village of Ibsley in Hampshire and a six arch, masonry bridge situated at Fordingbridge also in Hampshire. This River Avon is unique for having more species of fish than any other British river. 4 Image courtesy of Neil Geering, wikimedia commons The River Avon in Hampshire, also known as Avon Water to distinguish it from the sixty mile long, River Avon described above which also flows through the county, is a nine mile long stretch of water which rises near Holmsley in the New Forest before flowing in a south easterly direction towards it's mouth on the Solent, situated not far from the shingle bank at Keyhaven which leads to the sixteenth century, Hurst Castle. Avon Water is the shortest of the three main rivers, along with the fourteen mile long, River Lymington, and the twelve mile long, Beaulieu Water, which drain the two hundred and nineteen square mile area of the New Forest. Image courtesy of Chodhound, wikimedia commons England's shortest River Avon is just seven miles long.

The river rises near Ryder's Hill, famous for it's standing stones and triangulation survey station, on the boggy moorlands of the three hundred and sixty eight square mile, Dartmoor National Park, in the county of Devon and flows in a southerly direction towards the south Devon coastal town of Bigbury - on - Sea, pictured above, where it drains out into the English Channel. The river flows through the Devon villages of South Brent, Avonwick and Aveton Gifford and also forms part of the Avon Dam Resevoir, situated near South Brent, which was built in 1957. The river is renowned for it's stocks of salmon and trout. RIVER AVON - SCOTLAND 1 The longest River Avon in Scotland is the forty mile long river that rises on the foothills of Ben MacDui at Cragganmui and travels for ten miles before entering the remote and isolated Loch Avon, situated three thousand, seven hundred feet up on the Cairngorm Plateau of the Cairngorms National Park.

The river then travels on through the Forest of Glenavon and the Highland villages of Tomintoul, which sits at an altitude of three hundred and forty five meters, and Strathavon, before merging with the River Spey at Ballindalloch in Banffshire. This River Avon is the longest tributary of Scotland's River Spey and is considered to be Scotland's finest salmon river. 2 Image courtesy of Alistair McMillan, wikimedia commons Scotland's second longest River Avon is a twenty four mile long tributary of the River Clyde, also known as Avon Water. This river rises near the town of Irvine in Ayreshire and flows in a north easterly direction before merging with the River Clyde between the two Lanarkshire towns of Hamilton and Motherwell. The river flows through part of the five nundred acre, Chatelherault Country Park in South Lanarkshire, famous for the ruins of the sixteenth century, Cadzow Castle, the eighteenth century, Duke of Hamilton's Hunting Lodge and the brick built viaduct known as the Duke's Bridge, pictured above.

The river also flows through the villages of Drumclog, Strathavan, Glassford, Stonehouse and Larkhall. The river also passes beneath both the Old Avon footbridge and the M74 Motorway, before merging with the River Clyde just outside Motherwell. 3 Scotland's shortest River Avon rises at Darvel near Cumbernault in Lanarkshire and travels for just eleven miles through the town of Avonbridge, through the special site of scientific interest (SSSI) at Avongorge and part of the one hundred and seventy acre, Muiravonside Country Park near Falkirk, before draining into the Firth of Forth at the former fishing port of Grangemouth on Scotland's east coast. The river is spanned by the eight hundred and ten foot long, Avon Aqueduct, pictured above, which was designed by Thomas Telford and built between 1818 and 1822. It is the largest of it's kind in Scotland and the second largest in Britain. The aqueduct carries the thirty one and a half mile long Union Canal over the River Avon and is located outside the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian.

RIVER AVON - WALES Image courtesy of Jon Lord, wikimedia commons The Welsh River Avon, also known as Afon Afan, rises in the village of Cymer in the Vale of Glamorgan and travels in a south westerly direction through the forty eight acre, Afan Argoed Forest Country Park, for just fourteen miles before reaching Port Talbot on the south coast of Wales, where it drains into Swansea Bay situated on the Bristol Channel. The river flows through the villages of Cwmafan, Cymner and Aberafon and just skirts the the town of Port Talbot. The river has about eight tributaries, the largest of which are the small rivers Afon Gwynfi , Afon Kenfig, Afon Llynfi and Afon Pelenna. The river is spanned by two impressive structures just outside the village of Pontrhydyfen, the eighteenth century, multi arched, stone built, railway viaduct known as the Red Bridge and the eighteenth century, seventy five foot high, multi arched, former aqueduct known as y Bont Fawr, big bridge .

In December 1985 the river was the site of a total bridge collapse when the road bridge, the Pont Ynys - y - Gwas, suddenly and unexpectedly plunged into the river near Port Talbot in West Glamorgan, due to metal corrosion. There were no injuries or fatalities. River, Ford Names for Boys By Association By Meaning Only Names may be associated with a word, eg. Raven is associated with "dark" but does not mean "dark". River baby names and what they mean, for river, ford, stream, brook, with 203 results. Adoption of these boy names reached its most widespread 135 years ago (usage of 13.1%) and has become much less since (usage 3.7%, ▼72%), with names like Mark becoming less trendy. The most fashionable birth names in this list are Beckham (#359), Harrison (#119), Hudson (#65), Lincoln (#66) and Maxwell (#113), while Maxell (top 75%) and Buckham (46%) are conventional surnames. Here is the list of River names for girls .

Achilles - Bourne | Redundancies > Redundant etymology BORED? Play our free word games – INTERACTIVE HANGMAN Etymologically Redundant Expressions There are many words and phrases which contain redundancy in their etymology. However, this does not really qualify them as pleonasms in most cases. Rice Paddy – Paddy comes from the Malay word for rice (padi), hence this is etymologically redundant, meaning rice rice. Head Chef – The word chef comes from the French word for head, also used to mean head cook. The English word chief comes from the same source. So head chef, etymologically, means head head. Cash box – Cash box is redundant because originally the word cash (from the Italian cassa or French casse) meant money box. Cash box thus means money box box. Head of Cabbage – The word cabbage means head, being derived from the Latin caput "head" via Old French caboche. To speak of a head of cabbage is thus to speak of a head of head. Hailstone – Hail derives from the Greek for pebble or stone. It is somewhat redundant, then, to speak of a hailstone or stone stone.

Rivers Called River River Avon – This UK river has a name that means river river. Avon used to mean river. Rio Grande River – Rio Grande means big river. Therefore the addition of river yeilds the etymologically redundant Big river river. Paraguay River – This is a triple redundancy. Both para and guay derive from terms meaning river. So to say Paraguay River is essentially to say river river river! Yenisei River – The same is true of this name. Yene means big river and ses also means river. Thus we have an expression that literally translates as big river river river. Other Places Sahara Desert – Sahara Desert is apparently a repetition because Sahara may be derived from an Arabic word for sand or desert, which would mean Sahara Desert means desert desert. The Los Altos Hills – Los Altos in California has a name that means the hills. It is thus entirely redundant to say The Los Altos Hills as it simply means the the hills hills. The La Brea Tar Pits – We have the same situation with this area of southern California. La Brea means the tar so this etymologically redundant name is literatlly the the tar tar pits.

Mount Fujiyama – Mount Fujiyama means mount mount Fuji because yama means mountain in Japanese. Alice Holt Hurst Wood – This name for a tree-covered area in Surrey, UK derives from words meaning Alice wood wood wood. Torpenhow Hill – This place in Cumbria in the UK may be a quadruple etymological redundancy. Tor and how can be traced to Old English forms of hill, and penn may be linked to the Celtic word for hill. If this is true, the name means hill hill hill hill. However, linguists and etymologists generally argue that at least one of the elements of this name has a different root. More Redundancies, Pleonasms, and Tautologies What does England mean?

definition, meaning and pronunciation (Free English Language Dictionary) European country ; European nation (countries occupying the European continent) Meronyms (parts of "England"): Hadrian's Wall (an ancient Roman wall built by Hadrian in the 2nd century; marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain) East Sussex (a county in southern England on the English Channel) Somerset (a county in southwestern England on the Bristol Channel) Kent (a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans) Hertfordshire (a county in southern England) Isles of Scilly ; Scilly Islands (an archipelago of small islands off the southwestern coast of England near the entrance to the English Channel; formerly a haven for smugglers and pirates) Gloucestershire (a county in southwestern England in the lower Severn valley) Essex (a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary) Devon ; Devonshire (a county in southwestern England) Cumbria (a former Celtic kingdom in northwestern England; the name continued to be used for the hilly northwestern region of England including the Lake District and the northern Pennines) Cumbria (a county

 of northwestern England) Cornwall (a hilly county in southwestern England) Berkshire (a county in southern England) Avon (a county in southwestern England) Worcester (a cathedral city in west central England on the River Severn) Reading (a city on the River Thames in Berkshire in southern England) West Sussex (a county in southern England on the English Channel) Leicester ; Leicestershire (a largely agricultural county in central England) Wessex (a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century) Sussex (a county in southern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that was captured by Wessex in the 9th century) West Country (the southwest of England (including Cornwall and Devon and Somerset)) Northumbria (an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in northern England until 876) Northamptonshire (a county is central England) British capital ; capital of the United Kingdom ; Greater London ; London (the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center) Pompey ; Portsmouth (a port city in southern England on the English Channel; Britain's major naval base) Newcastle ; Newcastle-upon-Tyne (a

 port city in northeastern England on the River Tyne; a center for coal exports (giving rise to the expression 'carry coals to Newcastle' meaning to do something unnecessary)) Leicester (an industrial city in Leicestershire in central England; built on the site of a Roman settlement) Cheddar (a village in southwestern England where cheddar cheese was first made) Bristol (an industrial city and port in southwestern England near the mouth of the River Avon) Brighton (a city in East Sussex in southern England that is a popular resort; site of the University of Sussex) Blackpool (a resort town in Lancashire in northwestern England on the Irish Sea; famous for its tower) Bath (a town in southwestern England on the River Avon; famous for its hot springs and Roman remains) Manchester (a city in northwestern England (30 miles east of Liverpool); heart of the most densely populated area of England) Hull ; Kingston-upon Hull (a large fishing port in northeastern England) Aire ; Aire River ; River Aire (a river in northern England that flows southeast through West Yorkshire) Birmingham ; Brummagem (a city in central England; 2nd largest English city and an important industrial and transportation center) Oxford (a city

 in southern England northwest of London; site of Oxford University) Cambridge (a city in eastern England on the River Cam; site of Cambridge University) Liverpool (a large city in northwestern England; its port is the country's major outlet for industrial exports) Meronyms (members of "England"): English person (a native or inhabitant of England) Englishwoman (a woman who is a native or inhabitant of England) Englishman (a man who is a native or inhabitant of England) Domain member region: Great Revolt ; Peasant's Revolt (a widespread rebellion in 1381 against poll taxes and other inequities that oppressed the poorer people of England; suppressed by Richard II) borderer (an inhabitant of a border area (especially the border between Scotland and England)) esquire ((Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood) franklin (a landowner (14th and 15th centuries) who was free but not of noble birth) Alfred Alistair Cooke ; Alistair Cooke ; Cooke (United States journalist (born in England in 1908)) A level (the advanced level of a subject taken in school (usually two years after O

 level)) O level (the basic level of a subject taken in school) Regency (the period from 1811-1820 when the Prince of Wales was regent during George III's periods of insanity) Regency (of or relating to or characteristic of the style (especially the style of furniture) favored during the Regency (1811-1820)) balldress (a suit or dress for formal occasions) Battle of Flodden Field ; Flodden (a battle in 1513; the English defeated the invading Scots and James IV was killed) 11-plus ; eleven-plus ((formerly in England) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school) Puritanism (the beliefs and practices characteristic of Puritans (most of whom were Calvinists who wished to purify the Church of England of its Catholic aspects)) War of the Roses ; Wars of the Roses (struggle for the English throne (1455-1485) between the house of York (white rose) and the house of Lancaster (red rose) ending with the accession of the Tudor monarch Henry VII) Restoration (the re-establish

ment of the British monarchy in 1660) English Civil War (civil war in England between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists under Charles I; 1644-1648) battle of Tewkesbury ; Tewkesbury (the final battle of the War of the Roses in 1471 in which Edward IV defeated the Lancastrians) Battle of Naseby ; Naseby (a battle in 1645 that settled the outcome of the first English Civil War as the Parliamentarians won a major victory over the Royalists) battle of Marston Moor ; Marston Moor (a battle in 1644 in which the Parliamentarians under the earl of Manchester defeated the Royalists under Prince Rupert) Battle of Maldon ; Maldon (a battle in which the Danes defeated the Saxons in 991; celebrated in an old English poem) battle of Hastings ; Hastings (the decisive battle in which William the Conqueror (duke of Normandy) defeated the Saxons under Harold II (1066) and thus left England open for the Norman Conquest) Saxon (of or relating to or characteristic of the early Saxons or Anglo-S

axons and their descendents (especially the English or Lowland Scots) and their language) Instance hyponyms: Albion (archaic name for England or Great Britain; used poetically) Anglia (the Latin name for England) Blighty (a slang term for England used by English troops serving abroad) Holonyms ("England" is a part of...): archaeology.ws/Roman Place-Names Roman Place-Names Are they Celtic or Germanic?

Ever since the assumption was made that a 'Celtic' language was spoken in prehistoric Britain, Roman place-names have been used to reconstruct the vocabulary of this Brittonic language. Sometimes it was possible to find words in Welsh, Breton or Irish that resembled elements of the Roman place-names. Hypothetical words could then be proposed for the language of native Britain. But Win Scutt challenges this as a circular argument. He argues that Britain's Roman place-names can just as easily be matched with elements found in Germanic languages, especially in Old English, the language recorded in eastern Britain in the early medieval period. Germanic Roots of roman place-names Below is a list of many of the names found in Roman Britain, with explanations of possible Germanic cognates. There is much research still to carry out on this, but the comments below are designed to demonstrate that Germanic origins can be found for many place-names in Roman Britain. ABALLAVA Roman Fort at Burgh by Sands, Cumberland (NT 3259) This name may originate from a name similar to a number in Old English, including Abba, Eadburg, Eadbeorht, or Eadbeald.

The second element may be OE hlaw ‘hill’. ABONA (river, Gloucestershire and adjacent settlement) This is widely accepted as a Latinisation of the name for the River Avon which lies to the south of the Roman settlement of the same name at Sea Mills, Bristol. It shows that the Romans would use the letter B as the nearest Latin equivalent for a V. It is generally claimed that Avon is a Celtic word on this evidence. However it is virtually unknown in Cornish place-names (Padel 1985, 14), though it occurs in Welsh, afon ‘river’ and Middle Breton (auo(u)n). In OE the name would be cognate with hæfen ‘haven, port’. While it is argued that the river name is from an assumed British name for river, cognate with Welsh afon, Cornish avon, and Irish abhann, there is an equally plausible OE origin for the English rivers with this name. AESICA (Roman fort at Great Chesters, Northumberland) Perhaps from OE æsc “ash-tree”. “ae” would be a Roman attempt to replicate “æ”, while “s” is as near as they could get to “sh”.

AGELOCO Littleborough (not in Rivet and Smith?) OE āclēah “oak wood” ALAUNA (1. unknown location in SW Britain; 2. probably Alcester in Warwickshire; 3. probably the Roman fort at Watercrook, Westmorland; 4. the Roman fort at Maryport, Cumbria; 5. the River Aln, Northumberland, also known as ALAUNUS; 6. probably the Roman fort at Low Learchild, Northumberland) Rivet and Smith illustrate a mainly western distribution of this name, attributed to a variety of meanings, including “a rocky place or river”. Probably from OE alor ‘alder’ The name is also found at Ardoch, Perthshire on the Allan Water and in ALAUNOCELUM located somewhere in SE Scotland). ALBINIANO Ælfa, Ælfhere, Ælfwine or Ælfwynn are just some of the OE personal names which would be rendered Alb- in Latin.

A close modern cognate place-name would be Alvingham Li or Alvingston Gl ALOBERGIUM (Possibly in Devon or Somerset) ANDERITUM Pevensey, E Sussex ?OE æned-mere “duck-mere” as with Anmer (Ekwall, 1960, 10) In later times, the OE name was Andred. It may have simply started as a personal name similar to Ēanrēd (cf Anderton in Ekwall, 1960, 10) ARBEIA South Shields, Tyne & Wear Possibly relates to the Old English name Hereburg as in Arborfield Brk (Ekwall, 1960, 11) ARDOTALIA Melandra Castle, Derby The second part probably is cognate with Darley from OE dēor + leah “wood frequented by deer” (Ekwall, 1960, 139). Darley lies on the north side of Derby, which also derives from OE dēor. The first element could be Earda, short for Eardwulf. Therefore Earda-dēor-leah.

ARICONIUM Weston-under-Penyard, H'ford & Worcs BANNA Birdoswald, Cumbria Possibly based on a personal name which is found in OE, ‘Bana’. BANNAVENTA Whilton Lodge, Northants [ Iter II...Bannaventa ] The personal name Bana, with the second element “Venta”. Rivet and Smith can find no good origins in Latin or Celtic for this element. The word “went” meaning “passage” is found in ME, and is found also in Derwent, which should mean “the way of the deer”. BIBRA Beckfoot, Cumbria This is written as BRIBRA in Ravenna. The first element may be a Latin attempt to replicate the sound “Bray”, OE “breg” brow, or from Welsh bre “hill” (Ekwall, 1960, 61). The second may be the OE element “burh” or brough, broc, brook (Ekwall, 1960, 69) or OE beorg, hill, barrow.

Without earlier forms, it is not possible to state from which elements this name originates, but breg-beorg, “barrow on the brow” would be written today as “Braybrough” would sound most like “Bribra”. BIBROCI (Source: Caesar BG, V, 21, 1) A British tribe mentioned only by Caesar. These may well be a community that lived in the vicinity of Bybrook, Kent. Bybrook means the place “by the brook” in Old English.

BOVIO Holt, Cheshire [Iter II..Bovio ] BOVIVUM Tilston, Cheshire BRANODUNUM Brancaster, Norfolk OE brant ‘steep’ or a personal name + OE dun ‘hill, down, mountain’ BRAVONIACUM Kirkby Thore, Cumbria [ Iter II...Brovonacis ] BRAVONIUM Leintwardine, H'ford & Worcs [ Iter XII...Bravonio ] BREMENIUM High Rochester, Northumb [ Iter I...Bremenio, RC..Bremenium, Pt..Bremenion ] Probably from OE brēmer ‘bramble, bramble thicket’ as with the modern place-names Bramber, Bramerton etc. (Ekwall 63) BREMETENACUM Ribchester, Lancs [Iter X.Bremetonaci ] BRIGE ?? [ Iter XII..Brige ] From OE brycg “bridge” . Rivet and Smith see it as derived from a hypothetical British word for “hill” which preceded dunum in usage.

(Rivet and Smith, 1979, 278) BROCAVUM Brougham, Cumbria A clear instance of a Latin rendition of the OE name Brōc-ham (the ham by the brook); or perhaps burh-ham, the ham by a burg; or perhaps beorg-ham, the ham by a hill or barrow. In view of the Latin version Brocavum, the first seems the most likely. BROCOLITIA Carrawburgh, Northumb Perhaps OE broc, “brook” + OE lycc “enclosure” (Ekwall, 1960, 296). The t of Brocolitia may have been pronounced “ts” as in modern Italian, and therefore imitates the sound of “ch”. Alternatively, the first element may be “burh” which continues in the modern name “Carrawburgh”.

CAESAROMAGVS Chelmsford, Essex [ Iter V...Caesaromago ] While the first element refers to a Caesar, presumably Claudius, magus may be an adaptation of OE maga ’powerful, strong, able, competent, having means’ which might refer to the town, or it may refer to Caesar as a powerful warrior youth.

CALACUM Burrow in Lonsdale, Lancs [ Iter X...Calcum ] CALCARIA Tadcaster, N Yorks [ Iter II...Calcaria ] CALLEVA ATREBATUM Silchester, Hants [ Iter VII...Calleva Atrebatum ] CAMBUDNO Cleckheaton?, W Yorks [ Iter II..Camboduno] CAMBORITUM Lackford, Suffolk [ Iter V...Camborico ] CAMBOGLANNA Castlefields, Cumbria CAMULODUNUM Colchester, Essex [ Iter V...Colonia, Iter IX...Camuloduno] CAMULODUNUM Slack, W Yorks CANONIUM Kelvedon, Essex [ Iter IX...Canonio ] CASTRA EXPLOPATORUM Netherby, Cumbria CASTRA EXPLORATORUM Netherby, Cumbria [ Iter II...Castra Exploratum ] CATARACTONIUM Catterick, N Yorks [ Iter I, II...Cataractoni, Iter V...Caractone ] CAUSENNIS Saltersford, Lincs [ Iter V...Causensis ] OE cu ‘cow’, OE sende ‘s

andy place’ (see below: Clausentum) and a Latin suffix suggesting the existence perhaps an island in the Witham.

CECUCMUM Y Gaer, Powys CILURNUM Chesters, Northumb CLAUSENTIUM Bitterne, Hants [Iter VII...Clausentum ] This name may derive from the OE clawu “a claw or cloven hoof” which can refer to “the fork of a river” (as in Clawton, D., Ekwall, 1960, 110); and a derivative of OE sand “sand” e.g. an OE *sende fem. “sand-dune, sandy place” (cf Send, Sr, Ekwall 1960, 412). Therefore the Roman name may be an adaptation of *Clawsend meaning “the sandy place on the fork of the river”. This perfectly describes the location of this town in Roman times. COCCIUM ?? Wigan, Lancs [ Iter X...Coccio] COMBRETOVIUM Baylham House, Suffolk [ Iter IX...Combretonio ] CONCANGIS Chester-le-Street, Durham CONOVIUM ??

Caerhun, Gwynnedd [Iter XI...Conovio ] CONDATE Northwich, Cheshire [ Iter II...Condate ] CONDERCUM Benwell, Tyne & Wear CORIOSOPITUM Corbridge, Northumb [ Iter I..Corstopitum] CŌVENNUS This very probably refers to Coveney (Cambridgeshire) deriving from cofa + eg, meaning in Old English “cove island” which is exactly how it was sited in prehistory. It is probably the same island referred to by Ptolemy in Roman times. He described an island on the edge of the territory of the tribe of the Trinovantes that was called “Covenna”. It is an important piece of evidence that English was being spoken long before the Anglo Saxons arrived. CROCOCALANA Brough, Notts [ Iter VI...Crocalana ] CROUCINCUM “A Germanic origin was debated at one time” (Rivet and Smith 328). Could this be Craster, Northumberland?

“Old fort inhabited by crows” (Ekwall, 1960, 128) It would be in the correct sequence within the Ravenna Cosmography, except that Brocara near Irvine is placed before it on a northbound itinerary (but Brocara’s equivalence to Vindogara is an assumption: Rivet and Smith 1979, 209; 501) CUNETIO Mildenhall, Wilts This Roman town lies on the River Kennet in Wiltshire. The town name may well have developed from the river name, rather than vice versa. The first element may derive from cyne-, cene- “kingly, royal” (Smith 1956, 123); the second, et, a common OE noun suffix; the third, io, a Latin addition. DANUM Doncaster, S Yorks [ Iter V...Dano ] Perhaps an adaptation of OE diern-ham ‘hidden ham’ or of OE dun ‘hill’, or derived from the River Dearne which Ekwall states probably derives from the same OE root and means ‘hidden stream’.

DELGOVICIA Millington E Yorks [ Iter I...Delgovicia ] The first element may be a Latinisation of OE dæl ‘valley’; the second a representation of a personal name such as that found in Gawthorpe YW. DERVENTIO Malton, N Yorks [ Iter I...Derventione ] DERVENTIO Littlechester, Derby DERVENTIO Papcastle, Cumbria Another good example of an English Place Name with a Latin interpretation. The traditional view would have us believe that the name must derive from Brittonic. An OE derivation can be easily found in dēor ‘animal’ (Ekwall, 1960, 142) or ‘deer’ on a river called Wende (wende meaning “winding”); or dēor + went, which occurs in ME as “way, passage” (Ekwall, 1960, 506) DEVA Chester, Cheshire [ Iter II...Deva ] An Latinisation of the Welsh river name Dee or Dewi.

DUNUM Hod Hill, Dorset From OE dun ‘hill, down, mountain’ DURNOVARIA Dorchester, Dorset Probably from “durn”, the name of a river or district, which may originate from OE dierne or derne, meaning “hidden”; and OE were or wær meaning a “dam” or “weir”. The “Durn” gave its name to the “chester” and to the county “Dorset”. One documentary reference indeed spells it “Dornwaraceaster” (864 BCS 510, cited in Ekwall 1960, 148) DUROBRIVAE Water Newton, Cambs [ Iter V...Durobrivas] DUROBRIVAE Rochester, Kent [ Iter II...Durobrivis ] DUROCOBRIVIS Dunstable, Beds [ Iter II...Durocobrivis ] DUROLEVUM ?? Sittingbourne, Kent [ Iter II...Durolevo ] DUROLIPONTE Cambridge, Cambs [ Iter V...Duroliponte ] DURILITUM ??

Romford, Essex [ Iter IX ...Durolito ] From OE wlite “grace, comeliness, beauty’ DUROVERNUM Canterbury, Kent [ Iter II...Durolevo ] DUROVIGUTUM Godmanchester, Cambs EBURACUM York, N Yorks [ Iter I...Eburacum ] The traditional view, that this is a Latinisation of a British name, has found no easy derivation in British. Yet the OE for a boar, eofor occurs frequently in place-names, for example in Everly. The closest Latin could come to represent the word would be Ebor (since “v” had the modern sound of a “w”; see above under Abona). The name is completed with “acum” – as are other names in Gaul. Importantly, “a boar appears as the “canting badge” of the city on the Bordeaux inscription of AD 237”. (Rivet and Smith 1979, 357; see also EPNS, XIV, 275ff). The use of the boar as a symbol means that a Germanic derivation cannot be put down to popular etymology in the early medieval period.

It is strong evidence that a Germanic language was being spoken by the native population of Britain before the Romans arrived. EBURO CASTELLUM This name may also derive from eofor, a boar; and the latin castellum “fort”. EIDUMANIS Possibly a Latinisation of Witham, known in the medieval period as Widma or Withma (Ekwall 1960, 527). The ending suggests that there may have been an ending in OE ey “island”. The name might therefore have been “Withmaney” EPEACUM Whitley Castle, Northumb yppe from OE “a raised place, a lookout place” (Ekwall, 1960, 167) FANUMCOCIUM Bewcastle, Cumbria Possible from OE fearn ham ‘ham where ferns grow’ (as in Farnham: Ekwall 175) and OE cocc ‘hill’.

GABROSENTUM Moresby, Cumbria GALAVA Ambleside, Cumbria [ Iter X...Galava ] GARIANNUM Burgh Castle, Norfolk GLANNOVENTA Ravenglass, Cumbria GLEVUM Gloucester, Glos This may derive from OE gleow, a sporting place, or from OE glēaw “wise” (Ekwall, 1960, 199) GOBANNEUM Abergavenny, Gwent [ Iter XII...Gobannio ] A place-name derived from the ancestor of the Welsh language. Another case that shows that the letter'b' was used for 'v'. (See Abona and Eburacum) HABITANCUM Risingham, Northumb ISCA Caerleon, Gwent ISCA DUMNONIORUM Exeter, Devon ISURIUM BRIGANTUM Aldborough, N Yorks [ Iter I,II...Isurium, Iter V...Isubrigantum ] ISSANAVANTIA ??

[ Iter V...Issanavantia ] IVERNIUM (Ravenna 106) Rivet and Smith (1979, 381) is name as representing British Iyernio- “place on the Iyerno- ‘river’. However the name could alternatively be named from the OE “Iw” meaning “yew” (Ekwall, 1960, 268). There are a number of names similarly named after the yew tree, such as Ewhurst, Ewshott, Ifield, Iridge, Iwade, Iwode and Uley (Ekwall, 1960, 268). Apart from the Dorset Iwerne villages, there are no other cognates in Britain, named after the suggested British “river”.

It seems likely that Ivernium is the nearest that Latin could come to the sound of Iwerne LACTODURUM Towcester, Northants [ Iter II...Lactodoro ] While Rivet and Smith search for a derivation from Latin lacto, milk, for this town on the River Tove, this seems to be a latinisation OE lacu, “stream, water-course” and Tow, a variation of Tove which continued to give its name to the town as Towcester (Tow-chester). According to Ekwall, the river-name Tove is derived from an adj. *tōf “slow, dilatory” cognate with Mdu toeven, MLG toven “to linger”. Durum is, according to Rivet and Smith (1979, 346), an assumed British element denoting a fort (see Duro- names above). Alternatively it may be from OE duru “door” or even OE deor “deer. Dyrham, Gl would sound similar, and it is possible that Lactodurum was a “deer enclosure on the Tove stream”.

LAGENTIUM Castleford, W Yorks [ Iter V...Legeolio, Iter VIII...Lagecio ] LAVATRIS Bowes, Durham [ Iter II...Lavatris, Iter V...Levatri ] This may derive from OE hlaw “hill” LAUNA Learchild, Northumb This may derive from OE hlaw “hill” LEMANIS, Lympne, Kent [ Iter IV...Portum Lemanis ] Although attributed to a British derivation, this is probably from lind, often rendered lim, meaning lime tree. The last elements may be a Latinisation of ey “island”. The name adapted to Latin may have been “Limney”, an island with lime trees, but so too may be Lindsey. LETOCETUM Wall, Staffs [ Iter II...Etoceto ] LEUCARUM Loughor, W Glam [ Iter XII...Leucaro ] From OE hlæw “hill” LEUCOMAGUS East Anton, Hants Luca is an OE personal name found in places called Luckington in So, W, and YE (Ekwall 1960, 302, 306).

Magus may be a Latinisation of the OE adjective maga ‘powerful, strong’. LEVOBRINTA Forden Gear, Powys LINDINIS Ilchester, Somerset Derived from OE lind lime tree. Is there a hint of “ey” island here? – a latinisation of a name such as “Lindney”? LINDUM Lincoln, Lincs [ Iter V...Lindo ] Simply derived from OE lind “lime-tree” LONDINIUM London, Gtr London [ Iter II...Londinio ] Perhaps named after lang + dun "long hill" LONGOVECIUM Lanchester, Durham OE lang + wic – though this would condradict the view that Wic is a loan word from the Latin vicus.

Perhaps OE wice – wych elm, or OE wic, “dairy-farm (Ekwall 1960, 516) LUENTINUM Pumsaint, Dyfed LUGUVALIUM Carlisle, Cumbria [ Iter II...Luguvallo, Iter V...Luguvalio ] MAGIOVINIUM Dropshort, Bucks [Iter II...Magiovinto, Iter VIII...Magiovino ] MAGIS Burrow Walls, Cumbria MAGNIS Kenchester, Notts [ Iter XII...Magnis ] MAGNIS Carvoran, Northumb MAIA Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria MAMUCIUM Manchester, Gtr Manchester [ Iter II...Mamucio, Ier X...Mancunio ] The derivation of this is attributed by Rivet and Smith (1979, 409-410) and Ekwall (1960, 312) to Irish and Scottish “Mamm” “breast”.

Ekwall states that the element Mam- is found in several hill-names, such as Mamhead D, Mam Tor Db, and Mansfield Nt, MANDUESSEDUM Mancetter, Warwicks [ Iter II...Manduesedo ] MARGIDUNUM Castle Hill, Notts [ Iter VI...Margiduno ] Probably from OE gemaere gaet dun ‘boundary road hill’ or mere gaet dun ‘mere road hill’. The latter seems more likely as there may have been a mere here. MEDIOBOGDUM Hardknott, Cumbria MEDIOLANUM Whitchurch, Shrops [ Iter II...Mediolano ] MORIDUNUM Carmarthen, Dyfed MORIDUNUM Seaton, Devon ??

NAVIO Brough, Derby NIDUM Neath, W Glam [ Iter XII....Nido ] NOVIOMAGVS REGNORUM Chichester, W Sussex NOVIOMAGVS Crayford, Gtr London [Iter II...Noviomago ] OLENACUM Elslack, N Yorks OTHONA Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex PENNOCRUCIUM Water Eaton, Staffs [Iter II..Pennocrucio ] A simple latinisation of Penkridge, OE pennuc “a small pen” or OE penn “a small enclosure, a fold” plus OE hrycg “ridge”. (Smith 1956, 61-62, 267). Crucium would have been pronounced with a ch sound, close to the dg of ridge.

PETVAREA Brough on Humber, Humbs [ Iter I...Prateorio ] PONS AELIUS Newcastle, Tyne& Wear PONTES Staines, Surrey [ Iter VII...Pontibus ] PORTUS ARDAONI Portchester, Hants PORTUS DUBRIS Dover, Kent [ Iter II...portum Dubris ] PORTUS LEMANIS Lympne, Kent RATAE Leicester, Leics [ Iter VI...Ratas ] REGNI, REGNENSES This name may derive from wrecca “outlaw” (Ekwall 1960, 538). This late pre-Roman territory seceded from the larger territory of the Atrebates REGODUNUM Castleshaw, Gtr Manchester RUTUPIAE Richborough, Kent [ Iter II...Ritupis ] SALINAE Droitwich, H'ford & Worcs SALINAE Middlewich, Cheshire SEGEDUNUM Wallsend, Tyne & Wear From OE secg ‘sedge’ and the common Latin suffix dunum based on the OE dun.

SEGELOCUM Littleborough, Notts [ Iter V...Segeloci ] There is a clear potential OE derivation in the words for ‘sedge, a reed, a rush’ secg (Smith, 1956b,117) and loc or loca, an enclosure or, as in Essex ‘a lock, a river-barrier’ (Smith 1956b, 25-6). A weir retaining a pool with sedge growing around it is highly possible for this area of the Trent.

SEGONTIUM Caernarfon, Gwynedd SORVIODUNUM Old Sarum, Wilts OE salh or salig ‘willow’ (Smith 1956b, 96) SULLONIACIS Brockley Hill, Gtr London [Iter II...Sulloniacis ] TRIMONTIUM Newstead, Borders Perhaps from OE treownes ‘object of trust’ and OE bannend ‘proclaimer’ TRIPONTIUM Cave's Inn, Warwicks [Iter VI...Tripontio ] UXACONA Redhill, Shrops [ Iter II...Uxacona ] UXELODUNUM Stanwix, Cumbria VAGNIACIS Springhead, Kent [ Iter I...Vagniacis ] wagen OE “quaking bog” was suggested by Ekwall (1928, ), though it may also derive from wægn “wagon” or from a reference to waves or the motion of the sea. VARIS St. Asaph, Clwyd [ Iter XI...Varis ] VEB… This element is found on the inscriptions on lead pigs from the Charterhouse lead mines of Somerset.

A large Roman villa was found at a meadow called Great Wemberham, Yatton in the early 20th century. I wonder if this might be the place referred to in the lead pig inscriptions by “VEB”. “Great” might even refer to a gravel area (see Ekwall for “great”). One part of the site was interpreted as a dock on the river. Rippon refers to the possible later sale of the Lead Mines at Charterhouse to private entrepreneurs. Could this villa be the home of one such entrepreneur, or was it the official residence of the government’s administrator (or both?)? VECTIS The Isle of Wight is conventionally seen as derived from the Latin Vectis but the latter might equally be derived from an OE word that Smith states only occurs in place-names but has some topographical application such as ‘a curving recess, a bend in a river or valley’ (Smith 1956, 265). It may refer to a fork in a river. It is interesting that this island does not contain the eg element, suggesting that the use of this element predates the separation of the Isle of Wight from the mainland.

Roman Place-Names Since it has always been assumed that speakers of 'Celtic' languages lived in much of Britain before the Roman conquest in 43AD, Roman place-names have been scrutinised for traces of anything that resembles early forms of Welsh or Cornish. However, elements of English can be discerned in the same names just as easily - perhaps more so. Untangling the remnants of an older language in place-names is not reliable. It is even possible to find in Roman place-names resemblances with the names of dishes in a curry-house! Nevertheless, there is some remarkable support among the evidence from Roman place-names for origins in a form of English. 2007 The great debate on the origins of Britain's early languages has started. Find out the latest news and how you can learn more by following this link.

Question: The River Avon has an old Celtic name, what does it mean?
Answer: RIVER